2014 PBA Mock Draft (First Round Only)

Compared to the last two rookie drafts in the PBA, the 2014 edition
is viewed by some to be “not as deep.” That’s still up for debate, but
something undeniable is that this particular draft class is, literally, short. With
the tallest guy being measured at 6’6, there aren’t any real game-changing bigs
to pick here. By all intents and purposes, this rookie class will be dominated
by talented guards and wingmen.

Image from PBA.Inquirer.net.

This mock draft will focus squarely on the first round mainly
because the succeeding rounds are just too plain unpredictable and, well, most
of the impact players will come from the first round anyway, right?

Let’s do this.

FIRST
ROUND

Order

Team

Pick

1

GLOBALPORT

Stanley
Pringle – Pringle ran into a bit of bad press after
it was reported his asking price included the sun and the moon, but the fact
of the matter is he might actually be worth it. He hasn’t proven anything yet
on home soil, but he’s already being tagged as a potential franchise player.

Sleeper: Chris Banchero seems
like the only logical sleeper for the top pick, but even that probably won’t
happen.

2

RAIN
OR SHINE

Chris
Banchero – Banchero might not make sense given how
crowded ROS’s backcourt is, but the Paul Lee trade talks have fueled speculation
that there will, indeed, be a void for ROS heading into the 2014-2015 season.
Needless to say, Banchero should be a perfect fit if that happens.

Sleeper: Matt Rosser is a
nice sleeper for #2 only because he’s so versatile. Think of him as a
younger, less polished version of Gabe Norwood who can learn under the wings
of, well, Gabe Norwood.

3

BARAKO
BULL

Matt
Rosser – Rosser gives Barako Bull a lot of
versatility on the wings while also giving them the possibility of playing as
a small-ball 4. He should form a good tandem with JC Intal.

Sleeper: Or, of course,
Rosser and Intal clash and things don’t become rosy. In the event that
happens, picking Jake Pascual to shore up the frontline isn’t far-fetched.

4

NLEX

Kevin
Alas – Alas is an NLEX boy, and he should remain
one as he moves up to the pro ranks. Alas has the touch and the moxie to
score at this level, but he’ll play behind Mac Cardona, Simon Atkins, and
Eloy Poligrates

Sleeper: Jake Pascual is
another NLEX boy who might get the nod here. He could be NLEX’s version of
Ian Sangalang – a young turk coming off the bench to make an instant impact.

5

ALASKA

Jake
Pascual – Sonny Thoss and Gabby Espinas are both
quality frontliners, but neither is getting any younger (Espinas is still
recovering from an injury). Pascual should be a solid back-up at the 4 spot
(alongside Vic Manuel) while also being strong enough to bang bodies (or
sacrifice fouls) against much bigger foes.

Sleeper: If quality bigs
are in the conversation, then someone like Rodney Brondial cannot be
overlooked.

6

BARANGAY
GINEBRA

Ronald
Pascual – Pascual was once known as a high-flyer,
but now he has become little more than a spot-up shooter. Still, he’s one of
the best snipers in this class, and those are always in high demand. The
former Stag will probably playe behind Chris Ellis and Mark Caguioa.

Sleeper: Rodney Brondial is
another good sleeper here. Sure, Ginebra’s frontline is crazy crowded, but
Brondial is, by and large, the best player available (BPA) at this point.

7

SAN
MIG SUPER COFFEE

Anthony
Semerad – This is tough mainly because, top-to-bottom,
it sure looks like the Mixers really don’t need anything. They did, however,
lose Val Acuña and JR Cawaling, so a wing sub should make sense. Enter
Semerad, whose size and shooting make him, at the onset, a poor man’s KG
Cañaleta.

Sleeper: I want to say
Rodney Brondial mainly because, well, who wouldn’t want to learn under Marc
Pingris and be coached by Tim Cone, right? And, again, if the Adamson big man
is still available here, he is the BPA.

8

BARAKO
BULL

Rodney
Brondial – No way Brondial slides lower than eighth
spot. I mean, Barako would be insane not to make this pick. Brondial has the
potential to be a solid piece of this team’s future frontline, especially
with Dorian Peña and Mick Pennisi in the homestretch.

Sleeper: Should Brondial no
longer be available, Prince Caperal makes the most sense here for the Energy
Cola.

9

RAIN
OR SHINE

Prince
Caperal – Caperal would be an interesting addition to
a bruising Rain or Shine frontline. He’ll probably get a lot of burn right
off the bat, too, since coach Yeng might rest Beau Belga after his travails
with Gilas Pilipinas.

Sleeper: If Rosser gets the
nod at #2 and Caperal, for some reason, is no longer available, ROS should go
for Jericho Cruz or maybe even Phillip Morrison, who’ll plug the Paul Lee
hole somewhat.

10

BARAKO
BULL

Rome
dela Rosa – At this point, Barako’s already crowded
with middling players in all positions, so let’s just go with BPA.

Sleeper: I’m strangely
fascinated with Phillip Morrison, the former ABL player who turned some heads
in the Draft Combine. Even with RR Garcia already in the fold, Barako might
still need Morrison to add depth to its backcourt.

11

KIA

Manny
Pacquiao – Yes. This is going to happen. I won’t even
pick a sleeper here.

12

BLACKWATER

Jericho
Cruz – Cruz played with a high level of success
in the D-League as a member of the Blackwater squad, and it’ll make sense for
him to stay in Dioceldo Sy’s squad. Heck, he might even be this team’s
leading scorer in the Philippine Cup.

Sleeper: Phillip Morrison
might be a great pick here, too, especially if Blackwater wants someone who
has a bit more range than Cruz.